When voters head to the polls to vote in the Sept. 9 primaries, most ballots will have just one candidate listed for the state Senate and House.

“It’s not surprising and it’s very unfortunate,” said Maurice Cunningham, a professor of political science at UMass Boston. “Massachusetts is one of the least competitive states in the nation for the state legislature.”

With 160 House seats in the state legislature, there will be just 26 contested Democratic primaries and 10 contested Republican primaries. There are 17 seats that feature no Democratic candidate, and 87 with no Republican candidate. The Massachusetts state Senate has 40 seats. Six will feature contested Democratic primaries and two will feature contested GOP primaries. Three districts will have no Democrats on the state Senate ballot, while 21 will have no Republican candidates.

“Most of these seats are very safe,” Cunningham said. “Incumbents have an enormous advantage, money and name recognition, primarily.”

Neither incumbents state Rep. Paul McMurtry nor Sen. Mike Rush face challengers in the primary or the general election. There also is no challenger for US Rep. Stephen Lynch.

Longtime state legislators can amass hefty campaign war chests, which may deter would-be challengers.

“If you look at a seat that already has an incumbent, it could be they’re satisfied with work the incumbent is doing, or they feel the deck is stacked against them, that they don’t have the time, resources or money to wage a successful campaign,” said David Paleologos, director of the Suffolk University Political Research Center.

Many of the contested primaries are for vacant seats, which comes as no surprise to Cunningham.

“An open seat and shoe leather,” Cunningham said. “Those are your best chances at getting elected.”

Paleologos, who oversees political polling at the Suffolk University Political Research Center, said a successful candidate uses political research to deliver a message to the right people.

“You want to work smart and not just hard,” he said.

Polling and data analysis is not something that exists solely within the confines of national political campaigns. Polling data, enrollment figures and turnout statistics are tools that help successful candidates target the most likely voters.

Since state legislature races don’t capture the same attention as contests for statewide or federal offices, it is important candidates ensure their likely supporters get out to vote, he said.

“If you’re knocking on every door on a street, you’re doing something wrong,” Paleologos said. “Not everyone on the street is a registered voter or a good voter who’s voted in past elections.”

David Honen, a former political consultant who advised local and state legislature candidates for 30 years, said he sees a disconnect between many candidates and voters. The electorate, the Framingham-based consultant said, is often turned off. Ineffective campaign messages, he said, often mean candidates cannot discern differences between candidates.

Page 2 of 2 - “I still believe you can engage a voter,” he said. “It’s not important you agree with them. It’s most important that you sound like you give it some thought and stand behind it with some conviction.”

Gerry Tuoti is the Regional Newsbank Editor for GateHouse Media New England. Email him at gtuoti@wickedlocal.com or call him at 508-967-3137.